Single-trigger mechanism for firearms.



PATENTED AUG. 16, 1904.

G. E. WITHBRELL.

SINGLE TRIGGBR MEGHANISM POR PIRBARMS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 27, 1902.

110 MODEL.

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Patented August 16, 19504.

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HQN NEW YORK. v

. eirieie-reieeen con jeineneeie;

SPECEFEGATON forming part of Letters Perten't'io. 767,537, dated August16,' T1904. Application led Hay 27, 1902. Serial No. 109,2(52.(ilo-model.)

To rLZZi whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that i', GEORGE E. VVITHERELL, e citizen oi' the UnitedStates, and a resident of Hartford, in the county of Hartford end- Stateof Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful improvements inFiring Mechanism for Firearms, of which the i'oiiowing is aepeciication.'

My invention relates to thet classici iire-l arms in which a pluralnumber of hammers and Secre are employed and in which apnra number ofihammers may be released by the operation oi a single trigger; and 'theolojectof,

I l 5v shotgun with parte broken away to snow construction and with.'the gun broken down. Fig.. 2 is a side view of the seme with partebroken away to show construction.. 3 is e detei'l top plan view showingthe reietive position oi' 'the sears., couplers, and intercepterslideciter the discharge of the'right-hand berrei end with the herinner oithe iei't-hand barrei cocked showing the position of these parte et timeinstent of discharge of the right-'hand 'barret Figa 5 is a detaii eideview of the sears, coupien intercepter-slide, and eport-ion oi a hain-Iner end illustrating e normal positionoi the perte citer the release cithe hemmerrom the Sear. ilig. 5 is a deteii view showing the preferredform of means for maintaining 'the Sear in the seme vertical positionwhether the hernrner be up or down. 4

While my invention is' appiicabie to eny form of iirearrn in which apiurei number of scars ie employed and -whether operated. by a singletrigger or a 'pinrai number of triggers., l have chosen e douoie-barreishotgun with .a plural. number ot triggers as the preferred Fig 4 is alike View9 but form of gun in connection with which to illustrate myinvention; buil do not wish to be understood es .limiting rnyseif and donot iinit myeeif .to the invention disclosed herein soieiy in'connection g 'with e gun of the form herein shown.. l(

iin the accompanying drawings the numerai l denotes the stock` 2 the'berre 3 the 'fore end'7 and fi the frame, of the gun, to which 'thelbarrel is pivoted the ordinary mennenI The gun also provided withcooking-levers 5 and hammers 6, Ail of the parte aicove mentioned may beof any weil-known end ordinary form, as they form no part of t'nepresentv invention except es to detailed con- Strnction of the hammer.The gun isralso provided with tnecnstoinerv parte nenni in devices ofthis'character, as the operating- Springs, reieeee-lever9 safetyappliances, nc.

The hammer e is pivotaliy mounted in the freine inthe nenni manner andis provided on ,its onder Surface with ,a notch 'i' for engagement withthe end of the sfeer 9.4 The hammer ie aise provided with neemprojection 8 'that operetee in connection with thev Sear es wiii be vhereiniter described.

i The scar@ is-goivotaiiy mounted in the frame with its forward endprojecting in position to engage the notch in the hammer. The teii i@formed therein a recess li, niadevoy overturning the end of thescar-taii.

i conpier is pivotaiiy mounted on the een', prefereloiy near its frontend, and nes et its iront ciad aconpier-carn 13 formed, preferebiy, onan `upward-proiecting peri; from the conoiera this conipier-cenrrcoopereting with the cern proiec'tion 8 from the liernmer to ceuse theccii'pier to iceewnrg on its pivot on the yseein The conoier has et itsrear end e interni projection or nose which lies and has a icteraimovement within the recess ll oi the scar-teil.. .lijsten-pin i5 is alsoiocated onthe coupler and by engagement with the overturned port oftiieeear-tail limits tile inwardswinging movement of the orward end. ofthe coupler.. of the Sear with its end pressing against the A. spring l@is secured Vto 'the eide coupler at e point preferably adjacent to thepoint of pivotal. connection of the .coupler with the sesr.

The parts shove described es to cooking-lever1 hernnier Sear., end portsborne thereon have been described with reference to e single barrel ofthe gun, end it is understood that these parte are duplicsted in thegunthet is, s like set of perte used eppurtenent to each barrel-exceptthat the arrangement of the perte is eltered to such extent only estemake it applicable to the bcrrel in connection with which it is used,and like reference cherscters ere used in the drawings herein to denotethe @erts sppurtensnt to loot-h the right end the left hand borrelsr A.forward trigger 17 is pivotslly mounted in the trigger-plete 19appartenant te the liring mechanism of the rightfhend barrel.; end srearward trigger 18 is also pivotallfmounted in seid trigger-plete endeppnrtenent to. the bring rnecnenisrn of the lei`thsnd barrel.'

Esch of these triggers is sdspted to engage the under surface of thesesr eppur-tenant thereto end to reise seid secr 'when the trigger ispulled backward.

lThe nies-,ns for preventing the accidentel discharge oli' theguincludes en intercepterslide 20., mounted in s slidevfey 2L thepreferred form of the device end illustrsted herein these slider/sys ereformed in the seiety supporting-stu l 29d, the intercepterslidestreddling said stud and having side pieces 23 located the slideweys onoppo site sides of the safety supporting sindn These side pieces lieveet their forward end guides 24.-, that project into grooves 25 inopposits sides of the projection 526 `troni the triggerplc.te. rlhe roerend E27 of the intercepter-slide is enlarged to considere-ble ex tentfor the purpose of providing?. sufficient Weight to censethe slide tomove against the force or' the intercepter-spring This inutercepters-spring is located on e guide-goin 299 projecting forwsrd fromthe guide-pin snp port 50, secured t the triggenplste. This guidepinprojects into the interceptenslide end serves as e, 'means of guidingthc letter when the guides 24; ere located outside of ne grooves Ainintercepter 3l is located on the end oi s projection from the forwardendet the interceptenslide. iis shown in the drewings, this intercepterlocated between the scar-teils 1Q and in position to be interposed1oet-ween vthe noses le on the couplers when the intercepter slide islocated et the rearward. limit 'of its ploy.

. ne usuel safety appliances consisting the safety-slide 3% roclier 33,and tlmrnhslide 34. are erngloyed; but more detailed den scripties ofthis is deemed unnecessary herein.

lt is to be noted that peculiar feature of the coupling device hereinresides in the lect that the coupler on esch of the sears is ofI gegedwith the opposite Sear onlj,r when the herinner eppurtenent to e givencoupler is down sind the hammer snpurtcnent to the op posits coupler israised or coclfiedu-thet is, with both of the hammers in normalposition.z raised or lowered, each coupler is dis enge-.ged from, theopposite scar and each sesr is tree to act independently of the oppositescar.' lt will be obvious that when both herrels lieve been fired thecouplers may assume any position, es they will be ceused to assumeproperposition es the hammers src thrown beck end the gun cocked. Thenoses oi the conplersnre suitably beveled, es shown, to allow theintercepter to be freely interposed between the noses and also to allowthe nose of each coupler to engage in the recess oli" the opposite sesrwith either of the sears in any position. By this construction l. :unalso sbled to ineke the couplers practically' connterpsrts each of theother, except.A oi' coni-se, one must be arranged for s. right ind theother for slet-'t hond sesr. The couplers ere of the seme length, andthe noses oi the couplers ere located opposite each oth r. Thissirnplilies the construction both of the couplers and of the sesrs. l

The opere-tion of the device is es' follows:

l-oth hammers beine down, the bsrrcl is re ""LJ leesed by ineens of thetop lever and the gun broken down., as shown in Figs. l and E2 of thedre-wings. ln this operation the hair; mers ere thrown backward by meansof the coclring-levcrs 5 end the seni-s 9l each with t es the hammersere thrown backward the cem projections 8 comiifig` in contact with thecoupler-ceros 13 swing the resi' ends of the couplers outward,.sothntthe recess l1 in esch the is free to receive the nose oi' thecoupler from the opposite secr. The norlnel vvposition, oi theintercepter-slide during this t vi u als operation `and9 in feet, stimes except et the instant immediately following the disclrnrge ci theis at the forward .llnit of play, shown in L 2 3, and 5 oi thedren/ings. in this position the inten cept-er 3l is ,loc ted immediatelyin front ci the noses lll. oi the couplers. rlhe right-bend .riggerbein@ new pulled5 tl'le seer eyriurte nent to the mghtliend berrel israised, reeing it from thenotch 7 on the hammer end allowing the letterto he thrown forward iinder the force of its spring. c This operstiondischarges the rignt hond lisrreh end the force of the discharge censosthe gun in its recoil to he forced sgeinst the shoulder of the user.From the naturel tendency c the user to resist this recoil and thespring action of the shoulder the gun is immediately thrown for-word inwhat is known the "counterrecoil.5 This counter-recoil causes the gun tomove independent of the intercepter-slides#- thst iss the letter beingof considerable weight to move in its slideways 'does not ie notches 7on each of the hammers.

IIO

' the latter is therefore forced `forward independent lof' theintercepter-slide. rl`his causes the intercepter 3l to be interposedbetween the v noses of the couplers, so that neither is moved under theinfluencentE the coupler-springs 16. Immediately after thecounter-recoilthe intercepter-slideQO is forced forward to its normalposition by means of the intercepter springs 28 freeing the intercepterfromits position between the couplers and allowing the `coupler oi' theright-hand barrel to swi into the recess in the sear appurtenant to theleft hand barrel. it will be noted that a pull of either the right orleft hand trigger will discharge the other barrel of the gun.

The above description will apply equally well te the operation of thegun by pulling the free or left-hand trigger and discharging' thelelthand barrel lirst, it being necessary to substitute in saiddescription 'the terms left for right and Lright for left wherever used.

A fault has heen'foundin'devices of this class prior to my inventionfrom the fact that when a barrel is discharged the coupler immediatelyacts to unite the two sears. This .be-

y v ing accomplished before the counter-recoil acts and before pressureof the finger on the trigger has been released,the counter-recoil forcesthe gun auf trigger against the linger vand immediately discharges theopposite bar-l rel. 'By the use of theintercepter herein dez scribed itwill be noted that this coupling operation cannot take place until afterthe counterrecoil, and therefore all danger of imme-a diatelydischarging the opposite barrel is overcome.

`-lt is to be noted that by the peculiar are rangement and constructionci' the intercepter-slide and the intercepter the gun may be held in anyposition wthout-adecting' the operation of the intercepterto perform itsfunc tion. i I A. Sear-stop 35 (see Fig 2) is located underneath therearendof the scar and serves to hold the sear in such position that thecoup- Iers will surely engage the recess in the oppo' site sear Whetherthe l animer is up or down.,

except when raised in the movement of a trig-1 ger to discharge the gun.There 1s a stop ap purtenant to each scar. The sears are thus alwaysmaintained in the same verticalposiv tion, so that the coupler on onescar may readily cngage the opposite Sear. in the preferred form ofmeans for preserving this vertical po sition oi' the scar, as shown inFig. 65 the ham mer is so constructed that the portion oi' the scar inengagement with the hammer shall be always maintained at the samedistance from the center of the pivot on which the hammer swings-thatis., the point 35 on the hammer at which the scar touches when thehammer is down is the same distance from the center 38 of the pivot ofthe hammer as the point 37 adjacent to the notch 7 With which. the scaren1 gages when the hammer is up or cocked.

What lclaim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a multibarrel lirearm having a plural number of hammers and aplural number of sears with their appurtenant parts, a coupler toconnect said sears, an 'elasticallyactuated device to prevent operationof the coupler` and means for moving the sears.

2. .ln a multibarrel firearm having a plural number of hammers and aplural number of sears with their appurtenant parts, a plural number ofcouplers adapted to connect two'L sears, a device operated by themovement of the gun actuated by dischargeto prevent the operation ofsaid couplers.I and means for moving the sears.

3.: In a double-barrel firearm having a harnmer and a lscar wlth theirappurtenant parts appartenant to ,each barrel, a coupler mount-1` ed oneach sear to engage the opposite Sear.,

an eiastieally-actuated device to prevent opi eration ofthe coupler, andmeans for moving vsaid sears- 4. In a multibarrel firearm having aplural number of hammers and a plural number of sears with theirappurtenant parte, a coupler to connect said sears., an intercepter,means `for actuating the intercepter to in terpose it in vthe path oithe movement of the coupler., and

'means I'or moving the sears.r

\ 5.. ln almultibarrel firearm having a plural number of hammers and aplural number of" sears with their appurtena-nt parts, a coupler toconnect said sears, an intercepter temporarily inter-posed 'in the pathof movement of l the couplen and means igor moving the sears. 6. ln amultibarrel firearm having a plural number of hammers and a pluralnumber of l sears' with their appurtenant parte, a coupler to connectsaid sears, an intercepter-slide mounted inoperative relation to saidcoupler, an linter'='cepter secured to the slide to be tern-- porarilyinterposed in the path of movement of the coupler, and means for movingthe sears. V 7. ln a double-barrel firearm having a ham- Idro mer and asear with their appurtenant parte appurtenant to each barrel, a couplermount ed on each scar to engage the opposite sear9 an interceptertemporarily interposed in the lation to the couplers, an intercepterconnected to the slide and temporarily interposed in the path ofmovement of the couplers, and means for moving the sears.

9. In a multibarrel firearm having a plural number of hammers and aplural number of sears with their appurtenant parts, a coupler 10. 'in adouble-barrel irearm having a ham t mer and 'a sear with theirappartenant parts appurtenant to each barrel, a coupler mounted on eachsear to engage the opposite sear.l a slide mounted in operative relationto the couplers to he moved by the recoil of the :firearmu anintercepter secured to said slide temporarily interposed in the path ofmovement of said couplers, means for restoring the slide7 and means formoving the sears. Y

ll. in a donble=barrel 'firearm havinga harnmer and a sear with theirappartenant parts appnrtenant to each barrel, a con pier mounted on eachsear and having a beveled nose adaptedto engage the opposite sear, aslide mounted with respect to said couplers and moved oy the recoil ofthe lirearm, an intercenter secured to the slide and by its movementinterposed in the path of movement of the eonplers, means for restoringthe slide, and means for moving the sears.

12. in a donhlaharrel *firearm having a hammer and a Sear with theirappartenant parts apnnrtenant to each barrel and arecess in each sear acoupler mounted on each sear, each eonpler having nose oppositelgvdisposed to the'nose on and to engage a recess in the other oouper,means for operating the couplers, and a trigger appnrtenant to eachsear.

13.. in a double-barrel firearm having a hammer and a sear with theirappurtenant parts anpurtenant t0 each barrel and a recess in each Sear,a eoupler pivoted on eaeh sear and `having a beveled nose oppositelydisposed to the nose on the other conplerymeans 'for operating -thecouplers, a spring-actuated slide mounted with respect to the sears andmoved by the recoil of the ,lirearm, an intercepter 'secured-to theslide to 'be interposed between the couplers, and a trigger appurtenantto each eear.

14e in a double-barrel firearm having a hammer and a Sear 'with theirappnrtenant parts appartenant to each barrel and a recess in each Sear,a coupler mounted to swing on each sear,` a nose on each couplernormally disengaged from the opposite Sear1 means for swinging thecouplen and a trigger appartenant to each sear.

' 15. lin a firearm having a plural number of barrels, hanzmnersvv andsears with their appurtenant parts, said sears having recesses for thereception of the noses of the couplers, a coupler pivoted on each scar.to engage a recess in the opposite sear, a stop eppur-tenant to eachsear to maintain them in the same vertical position Whether the hammersbe raised or lowered., and means for raising the sears. I

16. in a rearm having a plural number of barrels, a Sear appurtenant toeach barrel, a coupler pivoted'on a sear to engage the opposite sear, ahammer appurtenant to each barrel and having two points of engagementWith the sear., when the hammer is raised and lowered, at the samedistance Jfrom the center of the pivot of the hammer, and means forraising' the sears.

3.7. In a firearm havinga plural number of barrels, a sear appurtenantto each barrel each sear having an oppositely-disposed recess, a couplerpivoted on each Sear to engage the recess in the opposite Sear, meansfor raising the sears, and a hammer appurtenant to each barrel, eachhammer having two points of contact with the sear both located at thesame distance 'from the pivot of the hammer.

GEURGE E. WTHERELL.

. Witnesses:

GEORGE L. MASON, ARTHUR B. JENKINS.

